When Colorado gives you a warm day without a cold breeze in the winter, you have to take advantage of that and go for a hike. That is exactly what happened January 18, 2014.

With our friends Jen and Jeff, long time Coloradans, we decided to do a hike James and I had not done before. That is not all that hard for us newbies. We pulled out the map and looked for a hike that was over one mile long and within the Estes Park city limits. That is when we found Lumpy Ridge. Direction: From the intersection of US 36 and US 34 in Estes Park, take Wonderview Ave. north for 0.4 miles to MacGregor Ave. Drive north on MacGregor Ave. for 0.7 miles, where the road turns abruptly east (and the name changes to Devils Gulch Rd.). Drive northeast on Devils Gulch Rd for 0.6 miles to the turnoff for Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. Turn left (north) and drive the 0.3 miles to the parking area.

We pulled into the parking lot which was not tiny, but not as big as Bear Lakes parking lot. It was not full, but I bet in the summer time you might want to arrive in the morning. We had just come from breakfast where the coffee was flowing so it was very, very nice to see a bathroom right before you enter the trail. The trail maps are well marked showing you the miles and all the different trails you can take. Gem Lake here we come. It is 1.7 mile hike. Perfect!

This trail is very well marked even in the winter. They put in wood steps when the incline is a bit high. Love steps, good for the heart and the legs. Most of the steps are made out of the granite rock that surrounds you. You are in the trees and hills walking among nature. It felt so good to have the sun on my face and to hear the winter sounds. The trail was a bit slippery from melting snow, but it was easy to maneuver.

About a third of the way up you come to this amazing wide open flat area. The view of Estes Park is breathtaking. Perfect place to spread out a blanket and soak it all in. As you continue along the path the rock formations are stunning. Now we know why they called it Lumpy Ridge. The amount of aspens along the trail must be amazing in the fall when the trees turn yellow. I am putting this hike back on our to do list for October.

Along the path we met a few people. One was a family with a 5 year old boy and a 7 year old girl from Boulder. We stopped to talk to them at Paul Bunion’s boot. This is over half way to Gem Lake. We also met a lovely senior couple with there walking sticks on the way up. This is a great family hike.

As you wined along the path doing switchback after switchback you finally come to the incredible view of Gem Lake.

This is where we pulled out our lunch. We sat along the lake that is lined with rock formations. It took us almost two hours to get to the lake, but it was well worth every step. We did a lot of picture taking along the way…and a little fun!

Cabin 1, Lady of the River, has a new Hot Spring hot tub. After six months of looking at hot tubs and what they can provide our guest we decided on a Hot Spring. There are many reasons we chose this particular brand.
The revolutionary Moto-Massage DX moving jets deliver on unparalleled hydro massage experience. Dual nozzles direct powerful streams of water that sweep up and down the entire length of our back. You’ll feel tensions dissolve as the stimulating, moving water soothes overworked muscles.
Every Hot Spring spa includes a wide variety of exclusive, patented jets to relieve tension in targeted locations like your neck, shoulders, back, calves, and feet. The powerful jets give you an incredible massage. Combined, these soothing jets provide full-body therapy leaving you feeling relaxed and revitalized.
Each seat in the spa is created for comfort. This ergonomic seating design allows for ideal jet placement to target specific muscle groups. And multi-level seating means there is a comfortable seat for everyone.

With up to 325 sq. ft. of effective filtration area, Highlife Collection spas are the only hot tubs that provide completely balanced, 100% no-bypass filtration. This means that all of the water passes through the filters before it re-enters the spa. In other spas, water is sent back into the spa, just when you need clean water the most. The exclusive Tri-X filters make 100% no-bypass filtration possible.
The SilentFlo 5000 circulation pump works silently, continuously and efficiently, filtering the spa water 24 hours a day. Relax knowing your a water is hot, clean, and ready!

]]>http://rusticrivercabins.com/news/does-the-hot-tub-matter/feed/0What to expect after the flood September 11, 2013http://rusticrivercabins.com/news/what-to-expect-after-the-flood-september-11-2013/
http://rusticrivercabins.com/news/what-to-expect-after-the-flood-september-11-2013/#commentsFri, 27 Sep 2013 16:43:36 +0000http://rusticrivercabins.com/?p=1063The Sheriff Department has allowed us to open October 1, 2013. YAH!!!

Here is what will happen and what to expect.

Rustic River Cabins will need to meet you at the check point at the beginning of highway 34 right by Olympus Lodge, at Mall Road, in Estes Park. You will need to call us at 970-586-8493a few minutes before you arrive.

Once we meet you, you will be issued a tag for your car. This tag must be kept in your car. When you check out you will need to return the tag. With this tag you will ONLY be able to travel from the check point to Rustic River Cabins and into Estes Park. If you are found wondering the canyon, you will be issued a citation/fine from the policy department. This has been put in place for our protection from looters.

What to expect when you are at Rustic River Cabins:At this point guests will not have access to the river. The Corp of Engineers has put a no access on our deck to cabin 8 and the deck to the river. We have a huge tree laying over the path coming from the other side also. So at this time you will not be able to fish here. While you are here, we will be building the new decks and cutting up the tree. So there will be noise from the chain saw and construction noise. We will not begin these projects until 9:00 am and end around 5:00 pm. These projects should be over on or by October 21, 2013.We understand you will be on vacation, but we do need to accomplish these project before winter is upon us.

On a side note: a lot of people in the canyon have lost everything. Please be respectful and don’t take pictures of people cleaning up. They are trying to get their homes and lives back to normal.

As of today, you will be coming up the Peak to Peak highway. We drove it September 16, 2013, and it is a beautiful drive. It will take you about three hours from the airport. Please be careful. There are a few big pot holes once you reach highway 7. Keep your eyes open for those. We saw two people pulled over with flat tires.

The flowers are still blooming and the aspens have started to show off their fall colors.